The Haze From an Unlawful Trade

By

Nigel Sizer

and

Timothy D. Dattels

Updated Aug. 6, 2003 12:01 a.m. ET

The people of Singapore and Malaysia are painfully aware of the plight of Indonesia's forests. They choke on it regularly as thick, toxic haze wafts across. Diplomats have pushed Indonesia's government to extinguish the problem, but the fires continue to flare up each dry season. What is now clear is that companies in Singapore and Malaysia also must share the blame. Traders, shippers, investors and officials in the two countries are deeply involved in the lucrative and largely illegal exploitation of Indonesia's tropical timber, which in turn drives the burns. Simple steps would curtail this dark business, reduce...